Northern coast, Istria, and the interior

Rijeka ("ri-YEK-a") is the major port on the Gulf of Kvarner, on Croatia's northern Adriatic coast, and Opatija ("o-PAT-ya") is a nearby resort area, popular with the Austro-Hungarian elite during the 19th centrury. Many of the old mansions there have been turned into hotels (including ours). The Istrian peninsula, bordering Italy, is home of Roman and medieval ruins. In the interior are the Plitvice National Park and the capital, Zagreb.